A cobbos



if. H. STANWOOD.

Patented June 10, 1919.

HAND DOOR PAD FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. I8. |916. 1,306,199.

FRANK H. STANWQOD', OF'ARLINGTON/MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 STANWOGD EQUIPMENT GO., OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, CORPORATE-lt 0F? INE.

` HAND Doon-PAD ron. AUTOMOBILES.

Specification of Letters fatent.

Patented June It@S twig..

Appiicauon med september 1s,191s. sen'fn no. 120,649.

Arlington, in the county of Middlesex and State of'Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement V.in Hand Door- Pads'for Automobiles, of which the followin is'a specification.

rior to my invention itV has been frequently the custom to provide a piece of leather secured at its upper edge-in the upholsteryat or near the top' of an automobile door. The strip or sheet of leather lies over the top of thedoor and depends downwardly at its side a 'suiiicient distance to permlt engagement by the hand oft a person opening or closing the door in .order that such person may not graspthe enameled or palnted surfaces of the door for this purpose.

These hand door pads-as constructed in.

the past have been unsightly andinconvenient in"`use due to the 'fact that they have been made of relatively stili' leather. The curving part or the 'connection between the depending part and the part upon the top of theI door has not been, sufliciently flexible to cause the body of the pad to he close alongside the door. Furthermore the leather has hardened with time and-frequent washing so that it hardens and. the corners protrude outwardly. c

An object of this invention is the provlsion of the pad of this character whlch w1llhe close alongside the door, which will not flop as the car proceeds, and which may be. grasped by `a person sitting 1n the car orv standing upon the ground to open or x close the door with greater ease than is possible where the body of the pad does not lie fiat against the door.

Other objects and advantages of'the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description when considered in connection with the ac companying drawing illustrating a preferred embodiment thereof.

0n the drawing, Figure l is a perspective view of a part of sin automobile showing a door provided with a pad embodying my. present invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the pad :md door; l Fig. Sois an enlarged section through .the pad before being placed-on the door.

Fig. e is a perspective view of the same;

and

' lFig. 5 is a fragmentary view vof the same.

A padembodyingmy present invention is preferably, 'although not necessarily, :composed of rubber of good .grade and consists of a sheet of the 4same having peculiar features of construction and provided with a strip of cloth l.along the rear face of one vof its edges through which'tacks or other fasi.

tening means may be'driven to hold the pad 1n place. In accordance withmy invention the pad is constructed with a hin e or connection' between thepart fastened in the upholstery seam and the vdepending part of greater flexibility or greater bending. qualities than that possessed bypthe body of the pad and greater 'also than that usually possessed bythe leather pads formerly in use. Referring to the drawing, the sheet of rubber consists of a body of substantially uniform thickness and of desired superficial configuration. A vstrip of heavy cloth 6 ,or

pon or emequivalent material 'is secured bedded in the upper edge 7 and 1s located on the under s1de. The body `8 of the pad or lthe part that depends'fromv the top of the door along its side is reinforced about its bottom and s ide'edgeswith an integral bead e 9 and also with a plurality of ribs 10. The

bead and ribs stifen the body of the pad and also add to its weight so that it tends to lie closer to the door. rlfhe hinged part not beingA provided with any reinforcing material is more flexible than the. body.

In order to further insure the hand pad from Hopping away from the car and alsof .from curling up at its corners, lf" provide a series of Avacuum cups or depressions 11 about its lower edge. Each time a. hand graspsa pad these cups are forced in contact with the door and the vacuums duced by them are renewed.

It will be manifest -that three separate means are employed to cause the pad to lie close alongside the door. One of these is the hinged connection more iexible than the body of the material; a second is a connection of less weight than the body of the material; and the. third is the provision of vacuum cups vfor positively holding the pad,

to the'door.

t will be manifest that a pad made of rubber or similar material will not be readily pro- A affected by rain or the Water used in washing the car and if good rubber is used the"" stood from the foregoing description, and it Iwill be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangementof the parts without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention or sacricin .any of its material advantages, the form ereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim: y

1.. A hand pad for automobile doors and the like, comprising a flexible portion and arelatively stiff portion, said flexible p0rtion being adapted to be secured on a door and the stiffer portion to hang valongside the same.

`2. A hand pad for automobile doors and the like, comprising a sheet having a flexible portion adapted to be secured to the door, and having a portion reinforced about its edge and adapted to hang down alongside said door.

3. A hand pad for automobile doors'and the like, comprising a 'sheet havin a portion adapted for attachment to t e door,

and having a lportion also adapted to depend Ialongside said door, said .depending portion bein adapted to adhere to sald door. 4. A han pad' for automobile doors and the like, comprising a sheet having a portion adapted forattachment to t e door,

and having a ortion also adapted to depend alongside sai door, said depending portion gaving vacuum cups adapted to engage said oor.

5. A hand pad for automobile doors and the like, comprising'a rubber sheet having `a portion adapted for attachment to the door,l and having a portion also adapted to depend alongside saiddoor, said depending pirtion having a reinforcement around lts e ges.

6.,'A hand pad for automobile doors and the like, comprising a rubber sheet, and provided With a strip offfabric along an, edge to permit it to be secured in place, land having a y part adapted to depend alon ide the door.

7. A hand pad for automo ile doors and the like, com rising a' rubber sheet adapted to be secure along an edge at the top of the door, and having vacuum cups at an opposite edge'to cause said sheet to lie close alongside said door. v

' 8. A hand pad for automobile doors and the like, comprising a sheet havin a part more flexible than the remain er and adapted to extend over the edge of the door and be secured thereto.

Signed in thepresence of tvvo subscribing witnesses.

` y FRANK I-I. STANWOOD.

Witnesses:

THOMAS J. P. OBRIEN,

M. EDNA BARRY. 

